Effects of repleting organic phosphates in banked erythrocytes on plasma metabolites and vasoactive mediators after red cell exchange transfusion in sickle cell disease

BACKGROUND

Red blood cell (RBC) exchange (RCE) transfusion therapy is indicated for certain patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Although beneficial, this therapy is costly and inconvenient to patients, who may require it monthly or more often. Identification of blood and plasma biomarkers that could improve or help individualise RCE therapy is of interest. Here we examined relevant blood and plasma metabolites and biomarkers of vasoactivity and RBC fragility in a pilot study of SCD patients undergoing RCE using either standard RBC units or RBC units treated with a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved additive solution containing phosphate, inosine, pyruvate, and adenine ("PIPA").

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this prospective, single-blind, cross-over pilot clinical trial, patients were randomised to receive either standard RBC exchange or PIPA-treated RBC exchange transfusion with each RCE session over a 6-month treatment period. Pre- and post-transfusion blood samples were obtained and analysed for RBC O₂ affinity, ATP, purine metabolites, RBC microparticles, and cell free haemoglobin.

RESULTS

Red blood cell O₂ affinity was maintained after PIPA-RCE in contrast to standard RCE, after which P₅₀ fell (net O₂ affinity rose). Plasma ATP did not change significantly after RCE using either of the RBC unit types. Exchange transfusion with PIPA-treated RBC units led to modest increases in plasma inosine and hypoxanthine. Plasma cell free haemoglobin fell after either standard or PIPA-treated RBC exchange transfusion (novel findings), and to a similar extent. RBC-derived microparticles in the plasma fell significantly and similarly after both standard and PIPA-treated RCE transfusion.

DISCUSSION

In summary, treatment of RBCs with PIPA prior to RCE elicited favourable or neutral changes in key metabolic and vascular biomarkers. Further study of its efficacy and safety is recommended and could ultimately serve to improve outcomes in chronically transfused SCD patients.

Biological background of the genomic variations of cf-DNA in healthy individuals

BACKGROUND

Cell-free DNA (cf-DNA)-based liquid biopsy is emerging as a revolutionary new method in individualized cancer treatment and prognosis monitoring, although detecting early-stage cancers using cf-DNA remains challenging, partially because of the undefined biological background of cf-DNA.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We investigated somatic mutations in the cf-DNA of 259 cancer-free individuals with a median age of 47 years using an endogenous barcoding duplex method with an ultralow base error rate (2 × 10-7) and compared the variant allele frequencies (VAFs) of these mutations between the cf-DNA and the corresponding blood cell DNA.

RESULTS

Sixty percent (155/259) of the samples showed at least one nonsynonymous mutation on either of two similar target panels covering 508 and 559 cancer-related genes. For individuals older than 50 years of age, the positive rate increased to 76%. Most cf-DNA mutations were also present at similar VAFs in the paired blood cell DNA. The most frequently mutated genes were driver genes of hematologic malignancies, including DNMT3A, TET2, AXSL1, and JAK2. However, the other 58.4% (192/329) of the mutations were likely 'passenger mutations' of clonal hematopoiesis, including mutations in NOTCH2, FAT3, EXT2, ERBB4, and ARID2, which are driver genes of solid tumors.

CONCLUSION

Hematopoietic clone-derived mutations, including 'driver mutations' and 'passenger mutations', are prevalent in the cf-DNA of both healthy individuals and cancer patients and may be a potential source of false positives in the liquid biopsy. Our results also suggest the ineffectiveness for distinguishing clonal hematopoietic mutations of low VAF (≤0.1%) from tumor-derived mutations using conventional next-generation sequencing of blood cell DNA. However, an error correction model with an ultralow error rate and high coverage depth is required for blood cell DNA sequencing, which is difficult and costly to achieve with current technologies.

A Systematic Bioinformatics Workflow With Meta-Analytics Identified Potential Pathogenic Factors of Alzheimer's Disease

Potential pathogenic factors, other than well-known APP, APOE4, and PSEN, can be further identified from transcriptomics studies of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that are specific for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but findings are often inconsistent or even contradictory. Evidence corroboration by combining meta-analysis and bioinformatics methods may help to resolve existing inconsistencies and contradictions. This study aimed to demonstrate a systematic workflow for evidence synthesis of transcriptomic studies using both meta-analysis and bioinformatics methods to identify potential pathogenic factors. Transcriptomic data were assessed from GEO and ArrayExpress after systematic searches. The DEGs and their dysregulation states from both DNA microarray and RNA sequencing datasets were analyzed and corroborated by meta-analysis. Statistically significant DEGs were used for enrichment analysis based on KEGG and protein–protein interaction network (PPIN) analysis based on STRING. AD-specific modules were further determined by the DIAMOnD algorithm, which identifies significant connectivity patterns between specific disease-associated proteins and non-specific proteins. Within AD-specific modules, the nodes of highest degrees (>95th percentile) were considered as potential pathogenic factors. After systematic searches of 225 datasets, extensive meta-analyses among 25 datasets (21 DNA microarray datasets and 4 RNA sequencing datasets) identified 9,298 DEGs. The dysregulated genes and pathways in AD were associated with impaired amyloid-β (Aβ) clearance. From the AD-specific module, Fyn, and EGFR were the most statistically significant and biologically relevant. This meta-analytical study suggested that the reduced Aβ clearance in AD pathogenesis was associated with the genes encoding Fyn and EGFR, which were key receptors in Aβ downstream signaling.

Effect of Al, Ti and Cr Doping on Vanadium Dioxide (VO2) Analyzed by Density Function Theory (DFT) Method

Density function theory (DFT) method was developed and applied for fundamentally understanding the doping effect of various metals (Al, Ti and Cr) on vanadium dioxide (VO₂). The substitution doping of Al, Ti and Cr in VO₂ could lead to significant changes in electronic structure, band gap and optical property. Different from physical experiments, the DFT method could be utilized for fundamental understandings at an atomic scale. It was found via DFT calculations that: (i) Al doping caused a slightly distorted octahedron in monoclinic VO₂(M), and narrowed the band gap of VO₂(M) due to the upward shift of the valence band (VB), while Cr doping narrowed the band gap because of the downward shift of the conduction band (CB); (ii) Ti doping slightly widened the band gap of VO₂(M); and (iii) the optical reflectivity of VO₂(M) decreased after substitution doping low-valent metals (e.g., Al). This study will be beneficial for designing and controlling elemental doping to obtain metal oxide nanocomposites with unique band gap and electronic structure for thermochromic energy saving applications.

Glycothermal Synthesis of VO₂(B) Nanoparticles for Gas Sensing Application

This study represents a facile but efficient glycothermal method for synthesis of vanadium dioxide, VO₂(B) nanoparticles with various geometries from spheres to rods, flakes or their agglomeration structures, by controlling reaction conditions (e.g., vanadium resources, reducing agents and surfactants). The as-prepared VO₂(B) nanoparticles were characterized in microstructure and composition, and also examined in terms of gas sensing performance. It was found that the VO₂(B) nanoparticles exhibit a good sensitivity towards alcohols (ethanol, isopropanol, and butanol) and acetone at the optimised operating temperature of 300 °C. The gas sensing performance was further compared with other vanadium oxides investigated previously, such as V₂O₅, Na_1.08V₃O₈. The plausible gas sensing mechanism of the as-prepared nanoparticles was discussed in detail. This study would expand the family of vanadium oxides that can be made as potential sensors for applications in detecting environmental safety and human health.

Mifepristone Treatment in Pregnant Murine Model Induced Mammary Gland Dysplasia and Postpartum Hypogalactia

Mammary gland dysplasia and postpartum hypogalactia often occur in humans and in the livestock breeding industry. However, their underlying mechanisms are not clear yet. Mifepristone, which has a high affinity for progesterone (P4) and glucocorticoid receptors, was exploited here to induce the disorders of mammary gland development and lactation. Four strategies were devised for treating pregnant mice with mifepristone. In the first strategy, mice were administered 1.20 mg mifepristone/kg body weight (BW) on pregnancy day 4 (Pd4). In the second strategy, mifepristone was administered to mice twice, with 1.20 mg/kg BW on Pd4 and 0.40 mg/kg BW on Pd8. In the third strategy, mice were treated with a single dose of 0.40 mg mifepristone/kg BW on Pd8. In the fourth strategy, mice were administered 0.40 mg mifepristone/kg BW on Pd8 and 0.20 mg mifepristone/kg BW on Pd12. The results suggested that mifepristone administration at the dose of 1.20 mg/kg BW on Pd4 caused significant reduction in milk production on lactation day 1 (Ld1), Ld2, and Ld3, as assessed using a weigh-suckle-weigh assay. Mammary β-casein expression, milk yields, litter growth rates, gland structure, and serum concentrations of 17-β estrogen (E2), P4, prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH), corticosterone (CORT) and oxytocin (OT) as well as the receptors of these hormones were determined during pregnancy or lactation after performing the first (Pd4) strategy. The results demonstrated that mifepristone administration during early pregnancy decreased β-casein expression, milk yields and litter growth rates, induced fewer alveoli, enlarged alveolar lumina, and altered the levels of E2, P4, PRL, GH, CORT, and OT as well as the mRNA expression of these hormonal receptors during pregnancy or early lactation. The present study on pregnant mice treated with mifepristone offers an innovative murine model to study the mechanism underlying mammary gland dysplasia and postpartum hypogalactia.

Development of a General Fabrication Strategy for Carbonaceous Noble Metal Nanocomposites with Photothermal Property

This study demonstrates a simple hydrothermal method while can be generalized for controllable synthesis of noble metallic carbonaceous nanostructures (e.g., Au@C, Ag@C) under mild conditions (180-200 °C), which also provides a unique approach for fabricating hollow carbonaceous structures by removal of cores (e.g., silver) via a redox etching process. The microstructure and composition of the as-achieved nanoparticles have been characterized using various microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), serving as a surfactant in the reaction system, plays a key role in the formation of Ag@C, Au@C nanocables, and their corresponding hollow carbonaceous nanotubes in this work. The dynamic growth and formation mechanism of carbonaceous nanostructures was discussed in detail. And finally, laser-induced photothermal property of Au@C nanocomposites was examined. The results may be useful for designing and constructing carbonaceous metal(s) or metal oxide(s) nanostructures with potential applications in the areas of electrochemical catalysis, energy storage, adsorbents, and biomedicine. This study demonstrate a facile hydrothermal synthesis of noble metal carbonaceous nanocomposites (e.g., Au@C) with simple procedures under mild conditions, which can be25expanded as a general method for preparing diverse carbonaceous core-shell nanoparticles. The Au@C carbonaceous nanostructures exhibit interesting UV-Vis properties dependent upon shell thickness.

High-frequency spinal cord stimulation for treating pain in the lower limbs accompanied by bilateral para-anesthesia: A case report

A 46-year-old female patient experienced severe pain in both lower limbs following a traffic accident in 2008. The pain mainly presented in her feet; she also experienced sensory impairment, convulsions, and exercise function disorders. She was diagnosed with neuropathic pain, and no medicine had any remarkable effect. Therefore, spinal cord stimulation (SCS) was performed in October 2019. Her pain did not reduce after the initial adoption of conventional SCS until the application of high frequency SCS (HF-SCS). At the 6-month follow-up, the pain in her lower limbs was considerably reduced, lower limb motor function was slightly improved, and muscle twitching in both feet disappeared.

Relaxation of synaptic inhibitory events as a compensatory mechanism in fetal SOD spinal motor networks

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons (MNs) during late adulthood. Here, with the aim of identifying early changes underpinning ALS neurodegeneration, we analyzed the GABAergic/glycinergic inputs to E17.5 fetal MNs from SOD1G93A (SOD) mice in parallel with chloride homeostasis. Our results show that IPSCs are less frequent in SOD animals in accordance with a reduction of synaptic VIAAT-positive terminals. SOD MNs exhibited an EGABAAR10 mV more depolarized than in WT MNs associated with a KCC2 reduction. Interestingly, SOD GABAergic/glycinergic IPSCs and evoked GABAAR-currents exhibited a slower decay correlated to elevated [Cl-]i. Computer simulations revealed that a slower relaxation of synaptic inhibitory events acts as compensatory mechanism to strengthen GABA/glycine inhibition when EGABAAR is more depolarized. How such mechanisms evolve during pathophysiological processes remain to be determined, but our data indicate that at least SOD1 familial ALS may be considered as a neurodevelopmental disease.

Hybrid Inorganic Electron-Transporting Layer Coupled with a Halogen-Resistant Electrode in CsPbI2Br-Based Perovskite Solar Cells to Achieve Robust Long-Term Stability

Along with the rapidly developed power conversion efficiencies (PCEs), operational stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) remains a bottleneck for further commercialization. The instability mainly arises from the unstable organic components in the whole devices and the responsive metal electrode to the halogens from perovskites. In this work, we develop a carbide-titanium oxide (C-TiO₂) hybrid electron-transporting layer (ETL) and a halogen-resistant Sb electrode on top of the inorganic CsPbI₂Br layer to solve the issues of instability. The hybrid C-TiO₂ presents a uniform and pinhole-free morphology, adequate band structure and electronic property, and observably strong stability. On the other hand, Sb is demonstrated to be effective to restrict inferior ion diffusion and further perovskite decomposition. As a result, our well-designed PSCs achieve both high efficiencies (14.8% for the champion device) and long-term stabilities (<6% decline @ 85 °C, dark, <10% decline @ 60 °C, continuous illumination) of 1000 h.

Research progress on the removal of hazardous perfluorochemicals: A review

Perfluorinated substances are global and ubiquitous pollutants. The persistent organic pollution of perfluorochemicals (PFCs) have drawn attentions worldwide. In view of the current need for sustainable development, many researchers began to study the remediation techniques for PFCs. Due to its unique hydrophobic and oil-phobic characteristics, the requirements for the PFCs removal process are different, so that their remediation techniques are still under continuous exploration. Hence, this review summarized the removal behaviors of various PFCs on different materials which supply a good foundation for future investigations in this field. It is evident from previous literature that every remediation techniques for PFCs has its own advantages. Among various currently evaluated removal methods, adsorption seems to be one of the most commonly used and recognized techniques for PFCs pollution control. Other innovative and promising techniques, such as physical and/or chemical methods, have also been tested for their effectiveness in removing perfluorinated compounds.

TBX3 knockdown suppresses the proliferation of hypopharyngeal carcinoma FaDu cells by inducing G1/S cell cycle arrest and apoptosis

The T-box transcription factor family member TBX3 has been demonstrated to participate in the development of various types of cancer, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. However, little is currently known about its role in hypopharyngeal carcinoma. In the present study, the involvement of TBX3 in hypopharyngeal carcinoma was investigated. Immunohistochemical assays revealed that TBX3 levels were increased in hypopharyngeal carcinoma compared with normal tissue samples, accompanied by upregulated N-cadherin and downregulated E-cadherin. Lentivirus-mediated TBX3 knockdown efficiently suppressed its expression and inhibited the proliferation of FaDu cells. The opposite was observed in TBX3-overexpressing FaDu cells. These results indicate that TBX3 is essential for FaDu cell proliferation. Furthermore, TBX3 silencing led to a disturbance of the cell cycle, leading to a decrease in the G₁ phase and an increase in the S phase. In addition, apoptosis was enhanced following TBX3 knockdown. The present results suggest TBX3 as a potential therapeutic target in hypopharyngeal carcinoma.

TREM-1 deficiency attenuates the inflammatory responses in LPS-induced murine endometritis

Endometritis, which is usually caused by bacterial infection, is characterized by high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and a high infertility rate. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) has been recognized as a potent amplifier of inflammatory reactions. Studies have demonstrated reduced inflammatory responses and mortality rates of animals with bacterial infection due to the blocking of TREM-1 expression. However, whether TREM-1 deficiency could alleviate the inflammatory reaction in bacterial endometritis is still unclear. Here, TREM-1 knock-out (Trem-1-/- ) mice were used to inhibit TREM-1 signalling to evaluate its role in inflammatory reactions after a highly pathogenic LPS infection in mice uteri. The results demonstrated that TREM-1 deficiency attenuated the inflammation in mice uteri; markedly reduced the number of polymorphonuclear neutrophils; and suppressed interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentrations in serum as well as their production in inflamed uteri after LPS stimulation. Our results illustrate an anticipated pathogenic impact of TREM-1 on endometritis during LPS infection and indicate that blocking of TREM-1 in LPS-induced endometritis holds considerable promise for blunting excessive inflammation.

[Relationship between smoking and the severity of OSA]

Objective:To explore the relationship between smoking and the severity of OSA. Method:There were 719 patients included in the study, who were accompanied by snoring, daytime sleepiness and other symptoms. Laboratory-based polysomnographic variables （including AHI, oxygen desaturation index and microarousal index, etc.）, and anthropometric measurements （including weight, neck circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference etc.） were collected for all participants. The severity of OSA was determined by AHI. No OSA was defined as AHI<5, mild OSA as AHI of 5 to 15，moderate OSA as AHI of >15 to 30, and severe OSA as AHI of >30. Smoking severity was determined by the smoking index （SI）. Light smoke was defined as SI<200, moderate smoke was as SI 200 to 400, and severe smoke as SI>400. Result:There were 138 cases of non-OSA and 581 cases of OSA. There were 381 non-smokers, 279 smokers and 59 quit smokers. The smoking rate of OSA group was significantly higher than that of non-OSA group （41.5% vs. 27.5%,P<0.01）. After excluding 59 quit smokers, the remaining 660 subjects were divided into four groups according to the severity of smoking, then each group was further divided into four groups according to OSA severity. Unadjusted analysis showed that OSA severity positively correlated with smoking severity （r=0.203,P<0.01）. The positive correlation remained significant after further adjustment for age, BMI and waist-hip ratio. In addition, logistic regression analysis showed that compared to non-smokers, the odd ratios for OSA in moderate smokers were 1.72 （95%CI 1.08-2.75） and in severe smokers were 2.68 （95%CI 1.61-4.46）, after adjustment for age, BMI and waist-hip ratio. Conclusion:The severity of smoking significantly correlated with the severity of OSA. There was increased risk of OSA in patients with severe smoke. The correlation was independent of some confounders such as age and obesity.

Prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal aberrations by chromosomal microarray analysis in fetuses with ultrasound anomalies in the urinary system

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the relationships between urinary anomalies and copy number variations (CNVs) in fetuses and provide information for prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling for parents.

METHODS

Three hundred seventeen fetuses with urinary system anomalies detected by prenatal ultrasound were enrolled; 251 had isolated urinary system anomalies, and 66 had nonisolated system anomalies. CMA was performed on the Affymetrix 750K platform.

RESULTS

The frequency of chromosomal aberrations in fetuses with urinary system anomalies was 11.04%, including 6.31% with pathogenic CNVs (pCNVs). The detection rate of chromosomal abnormalities was significantly higher for the fetuses with nonisolated urinary system anomalies than for those with isolated urinary system anomalies. Seven fetuses (25.93%) with echogenic kidneys were identified with pCNVs; this detection rate was significantly higher than that for fetuses with other urinary anomalies. A 17q12 deletion was detected in eight fetuses with urinary anomalies, accounting for 40% of pCNVs.

CONCLUSION

CMA is especially valuable in the prenatal diagnosis of fetuses with urinary system anomalies. The pCNV rates differed between the isolated and nonisolated subgroups of urinary anomalies. Fetuses with echogenic kidneys had the highest rate of pCNVs. The 17q12 deletion was the most frequent pCNV in fetuses with urinary anomalies.

Pharmacological characterization of TQ05310, a potent inhibitor of isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 R140Q and R172K mutants

Isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2), an important mitochondrial metabolic enzyme involved in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, is mutated in a variety of cancers. AG‐221, an inhibitor primarily targeting the IDH2‐R140Q mutant, has shown remarkable clinical benefits in the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia patients. However, AG‐221 has weak inhibitory activity toward IDH2‐R172K, a mutant form of IDH2 with more severe clinical manifestations. Herein, we report TQ05310 as the first mutant IDH2 inhibitor that potently targets both IDH2‐R140Q and IDH2‐R172K mutants. TQ05310 inhibited mutant IDH2 enzymatic activity, suppressed (R)‐2‐hydroxyglutarate (2‐HG) production and induced differentiation in cells expressing IDH2‐R140Q and IDH2‐R172K, but not in cells expressing wild‐type IDH1/2 or mutant IDH1. TQ05310 bound to both IDH2‐R140Q and IDH2‐R172K, with Q316 being the critical residue mediating the binding of TQ05310 with IDH2‐R140Q, but not with IDH2‐R172K. TQ05310 also had favorable pharmacokinetic characteristics and profoundly inhibited 2‐HG production in a tumor xenografts model. The results of the current study establish a solid foundation for further clinical investigation of TQ05310, and provide new insight into the development of novel mutant IDH2 inhibitors.

Down-regulation of Cav1.3 in auditory pathway promotes age-related hearing loss by enhancing calcium-mediated oxidative stress in male mice

In this study, age related Cav1.3 expression in cochlea and auditory cortex of C57BL/6J male mice was evaluated. It was found that the expression of Cav1.3 in cochlea decreased with aging whereas this phenomenon was not observed in neuron of auditory cortex. The correlation between decreased expression of Cav1.3 and age-related hearing losses was studied in vitro, after Cav1.3 was knocked out, the rate of apoptosis of hair cells increased after being subjected to ROS stresses, accompanied with enhanced senescence. Further, Cav1.3 knock down also interfered with the electrophysiology of hair cells. The effect was further confirmed in vivo, after Cav1.3 knocked down by injection of AAV, hearing impairment was observed in C57BL/6J male mice subjected to senescence and this was accompanied by increased loss of hair cells in cochlea. The effect was further confirmed in 3D organ culture, increased loss of hair cells after Cav1.3 was knocked down under ROS stresses.

Mechanistically, Cav1.3 knock out resulted in decreased intracellular calcium which subsequently reduced the inactivation of ROS from complex I, and finally resulted in increased intracellular ROS and enhanced senescence.

Collectively, these findings confirmed that Cav1.3 could protect cells in auditory pathway from oxidative stresses, and decreased expression of Cav1.3 in auditory pathway could contribute to hearing losses by enhancement of calcium-mediated oxidative stress.

[Application of copy number variation sequencing for prenatal diagnosis in women at an advanced maternal age]

OBJECTIVE

To assess the value of copy number variation analysis based on next generation sequencing (CNV-seq) in prenatal diagnosis for women at advanced maternal age.

METHODS

A prospective analysis was carried out for women who underwent amniocentesis at 18~36 weeks of gestation for fetal CNV-seq for advanced maternal age.

RESULTS

For 1461 unrelated Chinese women with a singleton pregnancy, CNV-seq was performed for all samples successfully. The proportion of chromosomal abnormalities was 2.3% (34/1461), of which 44.12% were submicroscopic copy number variations (<5 Mb).

CONCLUSION

Pregnant women at an advanced maternal age should be informed for not only common trisomies but all pathogenic chromosomal aberrations. NGS was a sensitive and accurate approach for detecting CNVs.

Controlling Orientation Diversity of Mixed Ion Perovskites: Reduced Crystal Microstrain and Improved Structural Stability

Formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI₃)-based perovskite has attracted increasing attention of researchers due to its lower band gap and improved thermal stability. However, it is structurally unstable and easy to phase-transfer at room temperature. Here, we improve the structural stability of perovskite by controlling its orientation diversity. XRD results show that incorporating CsBr into FAPbI₃ is effective to adjust the crystal plane stacking. For the first time, an orientation diversity factor (ODF) is identified, and it is found that an increased ODF is propitious to decrease the lattice distortion and relax the microstrain in the crystal, boosting the efficiency and stability of the perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The optimized inverted PSC based on FA_0.85Cs_0.15PbI_2.85Br_0.15 achieves efficiency of 17.59% and presents ignored performance decline under continuous light-soaking for 500 h.

Electrodeposited Vanadium Dioxide Films with Unique Optical Property

This study represents a facile but effective electrodeposition method to fabricate vanadium dioxide (VO₂) thin films on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass at room temperature. The film microstructure (thickness, surface structure, particle size and composition) and relevant optical properties were investigated by several advanced techniques. The pertinent variables that can affect the thin film formation and structure, such as deposition potential, time and post-treatment annealing temperature were also studied. It was found that the film thickness could be tuned from 35 to 130 nm by adjusting the potential from -1.22 to -1.35 V, and consequently leading to optical transmittance decreasing from ∼60% to ∼38% in the wavelength of 500-1000 nm, further confirmed by computational simulations using three-dimension (3D) finite-difference time-domain method. The hysteresis loop of the generated VO₂ film on FTO glass shows that the phase transition temperature from monoclinic to rutile is around 73 °C, a little higher than pure monoclinic VO₂ (∼68 °C) in this study. This proposed electrodeposition method is possible to extend into obtaining metal oxide films with tuneable surface properties for thermochromic smart devices.

Study on the evolution and transformation of chlorine during co-processing of hazardous waste incineration residue in a cement kiln

The co-processing of hazardous waste in a cement kiln can eliminate a large quantity of hazardous wastes, but the excessive existence of chlorine will affect not only the operation of a cement kiln but also the quality of cement products. In this study, the mixtures of hazardous waste incineration residue and raw meal were incinerated in a high temperature tubular furnace. The distribution ratio of chlorine in flue gas, clinker and fly ash under different experiment conditions was obtained and the influence of the co-processing conditions on chlorine evolution and transformation was studied. The results showed that chlorine mainly existed in flue gas and clinker, and only less than 1% of chlorine existed in fly ash. The incineration temperature had a significant influence on the distribution of chlorine. The higher the incinerating temperature, the greater the distribution ratio of chlorine in flue gas and fly ash. The proportion of chlorine in all parts remained basically unchanged while the temperature was higher than 1300°C. With the increase of the retention time, the proportion of chlorine released into the flue gas increased. The distribution ratio of chlorine in each part remained unchanged after about 30 minutes. There were four stages of the rate of chlorine release. In addition, the chlorine content of the sample had little effect on the partition of chlorine. Some suggestions on the co-processing of hazardous waste in a cement kiln are put forward based on these experimental results.

Electro-Acupuncture Affects the Activity of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Ovary Axis in Female Rats

Hypothalamic-pituitary-ovary (HPO) axis is a dominant system controlling ovulation during puberty. Electro-acupuncture (EA) has been widely used to cure the reproductive diseases associated with endocrinological disorders. However, whether EA treatment affects HPO axis activity of physiological animals and induces alterations on the hormones in the HPO axis was also unclear. Here, we performed the EA stimuli on bilateral acupoints of Sanyinjiao (SP6) and Zusanli (ST36) on female virgin rats every 3 days and for a total of 5 times. The results showed that GnRH levels in hypothalamus were greatly upregulated in EA-treated rats than untreated animals at day 7 and 13. The serum levels for FSH and LH were severely reduced after EA treatment compared with EA-untreated animals at day 1, while they were greatly increased at day 7 and 13. The serum concentrations of 17β-estradiol were lower in EA-treated rats versus untreated animals at day 7, while they were higher in EA-treated rats than other groups at day 13. However, the progesterone concentrations were lower in EA-treated rats than Control and Sham-EA rats both at day 7 and 13. More importantly, we found that the prostaglandin E₂ level in serum was reduced in EA-treated rats versus untreated rats at day 1, while they were upregulated at day 7 and 13. Conversely, the norepinephrine level in serum was increased at day 1, while they were decreased greatly in EA-treated rats versus untreated rats at day 7 and 13. The current results demonstrated that EA could modulate homeostasis of HPO axis in physiologic rats, which would be useful to clarify the mechanisms of EA application on pathological and physiological animals or human.

Effects of TNFR1 gene silencing on early apoptosis of marbofloxacin-treated chondrocytes from juvenile dogs

Quinolones (QNs)-induced cartilaginous lesions in juvenile animals by chondrocyte apoptosis is an important toxic effect, which results in the restriction of their use in pediatrics. However, limited data about QNs chondrotoxicity are available for evaluation of the potential toxicity in both animals and human cartilage. To explore whether tumor necrosis factor/its receptor (TNF/TNFR1) signaling pathway is involved in the early apoptosis of marbofloxacin-induced chondrocytes, canine juvenile chondrocytes were treated with 0, 20, 50 and 100 μg/mL marbofloxacin. Results showed that the apoptosis rates of the chondrocytes at 2, 8 and 24 h were significantly increased in a concentration- and time-dependent manner (P <  0.05). The mRNA levels of apoptosis-related factors in TNF/TNFR1 signaling pathways and the protein levels of TNFα and TNFR1 were increased in canine chondrocytes treated with 20-100 μg/mL marbofloxacin (P <  0.05) while TNFR1 gene silencing significantly decreased the chondrocyte apoptosis and inhibited the mRNA expression of TNF/TNFR1 downstream signaling molecules after 100 μg/mL marbofloxacin treatment at 8 h (P <  0.01). It was confirmed that activated TNF/TNFR1 signaling pathway may play a leading role in the early apoptosis of marbofloxacin-induced canine juvenile chondrocytes, which is helpful for clinical estimation or prevention of the risk of QNs.

[Dynamic analysis of the academic influence in Chinese Journal of Hepatology from 2010 to 2016]

Objective: To dynamically analyze the discipline status, influence factors and key issues of Chinese Journal of Hepatology from 2010 to 2016 and explore the development rules of citation indexes. Methods: We collected information published by the China Institute of Scientific and Technological Information [China Science and Technology Journal Citation Report (Core Edition)] and Wanfang Database Periodicals statistical analysis platform from 2010 to 2016. A bibliometric analyses on article volume, citation frequency, citation rate, h-index, ratio of fund-aided papers, periodical influence, key number published period, number of relevant articles, and so on were analyzed for annual's impact factor. Results: According to the data released by the China Institute of Science and Technology Information, from 2010 to 2011, the impact factor of Chinese Journal of Hepatology was at leading level in the field of internal medicine and ranked sixth in the Journal of Internal Medicine. From 2012 to 2016, the overall comprehensive assessment score and citation frequency score of Chinese Journal of Hepatology were ranked first in the Journal of Gastroenterology. Core impact factors kept the discipline ahead. Indexes such as immediacy index, h- index, cited half-life and all other indicators were increased. Citation rate was >90% and cited issue number had greatly increased. Conclusion: Chinese Journal of Hepatology has a leading position in the Journal of Gastroenterology and credited by inland readers and authors of digestive and infectious fields. It has played a positive role in promoting the development of the discipline.